Devlog - Players refactoring, render speedup

April 15, 2009

Recent changes:

  • Various render performance optimizations.
  • Improved rasterizing occluders.
  • Decals from particles.
  • ObjectMeshDynamic can be created from a mesh file.
  • New type of occluders: WorldOccluderMesh, which can have arbitrary geometry.
  • Added WorldTransform, WorldTransformBone and WorldTransformExpression node types for transformation of nodes by a spline, an animation and an expression.
  • Added set of functions for easy manipulations with node transformations.
  • Binary format of spline files.
  • Callbacks for physics, triggers and GUI are moved to the appropriate classes.
  • Inheritance of parent object's animation in skinned meshes (useful for attaching clothes to a character body).
  • Added field for arbitrary user data in each node.
  • Added reflection masks for lights.
  • Updated spline exporter for 3dsMax.
  • System profiler now accumulates values from counters with the same name.
  • Optimization of shadow rendering for LightWorld.
  • Fixed screenshot grabbing under Direct3D9.
  • Heavily refactored players, now they are full-featured world nodes.
  • NodeRef caching on load, it leads to faster world loading.
  • Additional sorting of equidistant from the camera transparent surfaces by blend function.
  • Improved camera for high-level Character system.
  • New high-level controls system in UnigineScript (see data/scripts/input).
  • Updated reference manual, added "Programming / High-Level Scripts / Character System" article.

Here is an animation tree scheme for new character sample, which is included in the SDK:
Animation tree example

PS: We have updated Unigine development roadmap for this year, now you can see status of scheduled features.